Duelling Plus Tension
by Impish Ferret
Summary: Narcissa and Hermione meet on the professional duelling circuit. How will they fair, meeting again for the first time 5 years after the war?
1. Chapter 1

**Narcissa and Hermione meet on the professional duelling circuit. How will they fair, meeting again for the first time 5 years after the war?**

**A/N: Just a little something that came to me, so I ran with it. All rights to the Harry Potter world and characters belong to JKR! I make no money from this, yadda yadda.**

**Enjoy!**

Narcissa breathed a frustrated sigh as she watched her opponent's wand sail through the air into her hand. Each person she had faced thus far had proven to be no match for her as she worked her way towards the finals of the European Duelling Championship. Bella's tutelage had more than paid off when she decided to become her own person and begin duelling on the professional circuit.

The referee's whistle sounded to signal the end of the match and the wizard Narcissa had been paired against swore at his loss, striding across the arena to retrieve his wand from her.

"Malfoy," he muttered as an acknowledgement as she handed him his wand.

"Actually, it's Black now," she replied, inclining her head in return with an easy smile. It had become a habit to not engage with individuals who refused to recognize her divorce.

The referee indicated her as the the victor and the crowd roared with applause as the defeated man whose name she hadn't bothered to remember strode towards the exit. She thanked the referee and made for the exit also. Perhaps her match tomorrow would prove to be more of a challenge.

"That was well executed," came a voice to her left as she exited the arena. She turned to face the person who had spoken and was surprised to see Hermione Granger leaning against the wall, a casual smile on her young face. "I haven't seen skills like those since I fought your sister."

Narcissa bristled at the mention of Bella. Regardless of her opinions or feelings now, the past was still the past, and Hermione Granger had no right discussing her sister openly with her. As she stood peering at the younger witch, Narcissa took in the choppy pixie cut that the muggleborn had adopted since the end of the war. It framed her face in a handsomely masculine yet feminine way, and she was forced to admit that it suited her.

"Thank you Miss Granger," she replied icily, pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind. "If you'll excuse me." Narcissa moved to continue on but Hermione stepped in front of her, eyes flashing in challenge.

"You might want to stay and watch, Lady Black. I suspect that it will be you and I in the final. You might want to see what you're up against." She smirked and sauntered around Narcissa, who stood dumbfounded at the muggleborn's audacity.

No, she would not stay to watch. No matter the opponent, Narcissa Black would be the victor of this tournament and prove to the entirety of the wizarding world that she was more than just pretty, pureblood arm candy. She was a force unto herself, more than willing to crush those who got in the way of her ambition.

Without looking back, Narcissa strode to the apparition point and spun on the spot, the shimmer of her dark green robes lingering as she disappeared.

**This was the start of a small idea that came to me last night that I will be posting in small ~500 word drabbles. Please let me know what you think and if I should continue this or not.**

**Thanks!**

**Imp**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So here's part 2, I'm happy with it, but writing such short installments feels a little weird haha. Anyways, enjoy!**

Narcissa arrived home with a crack, pausing for a moment outside the grand front gate of Black Manor with a scowl on her beautiful face. The last time someone had spoken to her like that, she had verbally flayed them into a cowering mess.

The muggleborn had seemed different. Her attitude and posture spoke of a confidence, no, a cockiness that Narcissa hadn't seen during the war. Then again, it had been in the middle of a war. Regardless, her newfound confidence wouldn't change the fact that Narcissa would beat her handily.

Shaking her head, Narcissa waved her hand and the gate swung open to admit its mistress. She strode up the gravel drive, not pausing to give another thought to the muggleborn. As she made her way into the ancient manor, a small house elf appeared to take her outer robes.

"Welcome backs, Mistress," she said with a little curtsy. "Is there anything I can get for yous?"

"Tea in the study please," Narcissa replied, starting up the grand staircase. The aged, dark mahogany was elegant, and she smiled to herself as she let her hand slide along the railing to the second floor landing. The soft pop behind her let her know that tea would be waiting by the time she reached her destination.

She continued upwards, taking a right into the third floor west wing corridor and strolling towards the appropriate door. As expected, a pot of tea was sitting on the small table next to her favourite chair in front of the fireplace, which was crackling away. She continued past them into the main area of the study and, flourishing her wand, summoned several large tomes from the shelves lining the walls. At her behest, they floated down and settled themselves in a stack near her chair.

More study was needed in order to keep her winning streak and take the finals with ease. She had no doubt in her own skills, but could hear Bella's voice in her head. _Don't be stupid, always know more than your opponent! Regardless of your skill, knowledge is your greatest power, don't squander your talents by being too lazy to pick up a book!_

Narcissa smiled sadly to herself. Her sister may have been crazy, she may have been brainwashed by a madman, but she had been the most formidable dueller Narcissa had ever seen. She only hoped she could live up to her expectations.

Settling into her chair, she kicked off her boots and curled her legs up underneath herself. Part of her wished that Bella could see how far she had come, how she had dispensed of the marriage she had been forced into to become her own woman. The other part of her told her to stop being nostalgic and get to work.

She poured her tea and selected the top book from her pile, opening it to the chapter on charms based duelling. She settled in to study, anticipating an easy win the following day.

**A/N: Part 2 complete! Let me know what you think!**

**Imp**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Yay chapter 3 is here! Drabbles are hard! Trying to say what you want in 500 words forces you to change your style a lot. Anyway, mistakes are all mine, rights are all JKR's.**

**Enjoy!**

Hermione grinned in triumph as her opponent's wand clattered to the floor at her feet. This one hadn't even felt like a challenge, they'd been at it for less than ten minutes when she handily disarmed the witch across from her.

The look of disbelief on the other witch's face made Hermione grin even wider. That's what they get when they underestimate the so-called 'brains of the golden trio.' Just because she liked to read didn't make her useless with a wand, how incredibly stupid.

She picked up the wand at her feet and sent it floating across the arena. Her opponent blinked and caught it, giving her a humble nod of acknowledgement. She nodded in return as the referee indicated her as the victor. The crowd erupted in raucous cheers and she gave a small wave and a smile to the onlookers.

As she exited the arena, her eyes swept the corridor for a blonde head. There was no sign of Narcissa. It was Hermione's turn to bristle now. She had expected the pureblood to at least stay for some verbal sparring. Mildly disappointed, she strode to the apparition point and spun on the spot, disappearing with a small pop.

She arrived home to her small flat and tossed her outer robes onto the couch, moving into the kitchen to put on a pot of tea. She huffed and sat at her table, wordlessly summoning a stack of books from the other room. Just because she had won the duel easily today, didn't mean she would win easily tomorrow. Regardless of who had been under his skin the first year Hermione had known him, Alastair Moody's voice rang in her head.

_Constant vigilance! Play to your strengths! What are your strengths? Enemies are around every corner, think like they do, stay ahead of them, or you're dead. End of story, good-bye!_

She grinned, opening her book on transfiguration based duelling. No matter what came at her, she would be ready. She would prove to the wizarding world that she was more than the brains of the golden trio, she would prove that she could do more than read books and run three steps behind the boy who lived.

Watching Narcissa Black's duel earlier had surprised her more than she could have anticipated. The blonde pureblood had danced her opponent around the arena until she had him exactly where she wanted him. Flashbacks of Bellatrix during the war had sprung to mind as Hermione watched, and she realized that Bellatrix must have tutored her baby sister in duelling before she died. In fact, she was sure of it.

Which meant that Hermione was up against more than she had anticipated, but she was spoiling for a good duel, one she hadn't been able to have since the war. The rush of adrenaline as you fought for your life was something she had been unable to replicate in the years since the end of Voldemort's reign. Hopefully, the Lady Black would give her exactly what she needed.

**There it is! Hope you liked it, please let me know!**

**Imp**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here comes part 4! All mistakes are mine, all rights are not haha.**

Narcissa stood at the entrance to the arena, her shoulders pulled back regally. Had she been aware that Hermione Granger was taking part in the duel directly before her own, she would not have arrived so early. The young Gryffindor was an excellent duellist, Narcissa couldn't deny it. But that didn't mean she wanted to sit and watch, knowing that she would beat her without trouble.

She noticed as the muggleborn deftly maneuvered her opponent into a trap. The transfiguration she applied was flawless, and the wizard across from her had no time to see that the floorboards he was backing onto had been transfigured into venomous tentacula.

With a surprised yelp, he lost his concentration on the younger witch while he tried to disentangle himself. The brunette took no time in disarming him and then transfiguring the floor back into its original state, a serene smile on her face.

As the match ended and the victor was announced, Narcissa braced herself for the encounter with the Gryffindor. Her ice queen facade fully in place, Narcissa gazed down at the younger woman's approach, giving no sign of disquiet.

"Lady Black," Hermione offered with a small bow. "Did you enjoy the show?" She smirked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Indeed," Narcissa replied, quirking a brow. "I saw at least four places where I could easily have out maneuvered you. You give away your intent quite obviously, you just have yet to face anyone who is up to par."

Hermione's smirk dropped and she lifted her chin in defiance.

"And you are, I suppose?" She asked, eyes flashing dangerously.

"More than, I assure you. Perhaps you should be the one to stay and watch today. You may learn a thing or two. Good afternoon, Miss Granger."

Narcissa stepped around the young brunette with a saunter. She didn't let it show, but she was exceedingly satisfied with how she had dealt with the muggleborn. Cockiness was not becoming. Something about the way the younger witch carried herself grated on Narcissa. They were obviously well matched in skill, but Narcissa was confident that she could best her.

As she bowed to her opponent, her blood began to run fast through her veins, the rush of the duel beginning to take hold. Her senses focused solely on her opponent, all thoughts of the muggleborn witch gone from her mind as her magic bubbled to the surface, itching to be unleashed.

At the whistle, Narcissa shot off a lightning fast jelly legs jinx, followed immediately by an opugno charm. Her opponent managed to dodge to first, but was unable to evade the flock of tiny yellow birds that came pelting down onto his head.

He ducked to avoid them but was unable to move his legs, as Narcissa had melted the floor beneath him and he was currently sinking. A look of panic came over his face as he froze, unsure of how to get out of his situation.

Narcissa grinned, knowing she had him. With a flourish of her wand, his own went sailing through the air and she deftly caught it to the sound of the whistle.

With a nod at her opponent, she gave his wand to the referee and turned to stride out of the arena. Coming out of her focus on the duel, she flicked her eyes about the waiting area, but the young brunette was nowhere to be seen.

She found herself disappointed that her victory had gone unseen, but straightened her back as she continued to the apparition point, knowing that the ultimate victory would be hers.

**A/N: There we go! Even if it is a bit long, I hope you all enjoyed! Please let me know what you think.**

**Imp**


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5 is finally here! Thank you for being patient with me.**

**All mistakes are mine, all rights are not!**

**Enjoy!**

Hermione fumed silently as she turned to watch the blonde witch stride into the arena. The nerve of the older woman grated on Hermione more than she would like to admit. The way she spoke made Hermione's blood boil and she longed for the day that she would take victory from her.

She watched as the older woman assumed the traditional bow that marked the start of her duel. At the whistle, the quick succession of spells made Hermione's eyes widen. The witch had skills beyond what she had shown the day before. The wizard sinking into the floor didn't stand a chance. Hermione turned on her heel as his wand found itself nestled in his opponent's hand. She preferred not to be around to see the smirk that would mar Narcissa's beautiful features as she spoke to the younger woman about her win.

Apparating back into her flat, Hermione once again stomped to her kitchen to make a cup of tea. Again, more research was needed. Narcissa's movements were lightning fast, there had to be a way to counter them and put the duel in her favour. She knew that her own skills were formidable but nowhere even close in speed, not that she would let the blonde know that.

Cup of tea in hand, Hermione stood to pace her small kitchen and think. Shield charms would only get you so far if you didn't have anything to back them up with. Pausing to take a careful sip of the hot liquid, Hermione thought back to her duels with Bellatrix during the war. The dark witch was the most amazing dueller Hermione had ever seen. If not for being on the receiving end of the crazed deatheather's ire, she would have loved to watch how she skillfully overpowered and outmaneuvered her opponents.

Then again, she had been beaten. By Molly Weasley no less. So what made it possible for the Weasley matriarch to overcome Bellatrix's prodigious skill? She took another sip, sighing contentedly before resuming her pacing.

Love. Overpowering love for a child and protection of that child had made it possible for Molly to beat her. That wasn't exactly helpful, as Hermione had no children to protect, nor was the competition a battle for life and death. So what else could she use to beat Narcissa's incredible speed?

Deciding she needed a sounding board, she flourished her wand and sent a patronus to Harry. Hopefully he'd have a few thoughts about her predicament. A few moments later, his stag appeared in her kitchen and spoke in Harry's voice, suggesting they meet at the Leaky Cauldron for a pint to chat.

Popping into existence outside the ancient pub, Hermione stowed her wand and stepped inside. Harry's mop of black hair was poking above the booth he was currently occupying and she made her way in his direction.

As she crossed the crowded room, she could feel a pair of eyes following her progress. She searched the crowd before her eyes settled on the icy blue irises of none other than Narcissa Black, who was striding across the bar towards her.

"Miss Granger," the blonde offered as she neared her. "How lovely to see you again. I trust you learned something today. Good luck tomorrow in the semi-finals, I look forward to beating you the day after." She raised her wine glass in Hermione's direction before moving to continue past her.

**Dun dun dun! How rude! How will Hermione react? Next installment coming soon, let me know what you think so far!**

**Imp**


	6. Chapter 6

**It's here! I'm sorry it's been such a long time, life has been a whirlwind and I've barely had time to write for weeks!**

**As usual, any mistakes are mine but the rights are not.**

**Enjoy!**

Narcissa smirked as she sidestepped the fuming brunette. Heading back in the direction of Andromeda's table, she wondered when the last time was that she had gotten so excited about beating someone in a duel. While maneuvering around a large man with a tankard of ale in his outstretched hand, Narcissa was forcibly spun by the shoulder to face an irate looking muggleborn.

"What's your problem?" Hermione hissed, stepping into Narcissa's space.

Eyeing the younger woman, Narcissa leaned forward to answer.

"I could ask you the same thing, Miss Granger," she uttered, peering into the younger witch's hazel eyes. "I believe it was you who started this exchange, I am merely responding to your obvious attempt to get a rise out of me."

Hermione gaped at the blonde, before raising her chin defensively.

"I did no such thing!"

"Didn't you?" Narcissa countered, taking a step further into Hermione's space. "Mentioning my sister, suggesting that I watch you so that I might 'see what I'm up against', what would you call that?"

Not backing down, Hermione poked Narcissa in the chest to add emphasis to her words. "I would call it friendly banter! I would never blatantly try to get a rise out of someone in such a way!"

Narcissa balked at the nerve of the woman to poke her physically. She slapped the muggleborn's hand away and leaned even closer. The air crackled with tension as the two witches stared each other down. Other patrons of the pub had started to notice their exchange and conversations died down around them. Taking a calming breath, Narcissa removed herself from Hermione's space.

"Call it what you like Miss Granger. We'll settle this in the arena."

She spun on her heel and continued in the direction of Andromeda's table. As she sat down, Andromeda stared at her, perplexed.

"Cissy, what on earth was that about?" she asked, turning to watch Hermione stride across the bar and sit down across from Harry.

"I don't want to talk about it Andy," Narcissa replied before taking a generous sip of her wine.

She hated to admit it, but the brunette across the bar had completely riled her up. She took another sip, willing her flushed cheeks to calm and her pulse to slow. Something about the younger witch was both infuriating, and yet enticing. She couldn't wait to duel her, watch those sharp hazel eyes as they read the space between them, and then widen in surprise as she backed her into a corner before taking her.

The duel! Taking the duel! She took another sip before looking up at Andy, who was watching her with curious eyes.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" she asked, taking a sip of her own drink. "You look quite flustered."

"I'm not flustered!" Narcissa snapped, placing her wine on the worn tabletop. "I don't want to talk about it, stop pestering me woman. Now, how is young Teddy doing?"

**Ooooh, tensions are building! Thank you all for your patience. Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Imp**


	7. Chapter 7

**Two updates in under a week? Whaat? You lucky folks, you!**

**Usual disclaimers apply, enjoy!**

"Are you okay, 'Mione?" Harry asked as the muggleborn flung herself into her seat across from him, knocking the table with her knee and almost upsetting his beer.

"That woman is infuriating!" she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Rude, arrogant, just.. Just.. Argh!"

Harry stared at her, perplexed.

"Which woman?" he asked before turning to look around the bar.

"Don't look!" she hissed at him. "It's that damned Black woman. I've never met anyone so full of themselves."

"Narcissa?" Harry blurted, eyebrows raised. "What's she done?" He turned around once more and finally spotted the head of silvery blonde hair across from her sister.

"Narcissa?" Hermione repeated, eyes wide as she gaped at him. "You're on a first name basis with that woman?"

Harry sipped his beer nonchalantly. "Sure, I've gotten to know her quite well actually. She's Teddy's aunt, so I run into her at Andy's pretty often." He put his beer back on the table before waving in Tom the barkeep's direction, motioning for a beer for Hermione. "I was thinking that you two should meet sometime soon, I thought you would hit it off. She's as smart as you, you know."

Hermione scoffed before thanking Tom as he set down her pint glass.

"In no world, could the two of us ever hit it off. She's more pigheaded than Ron, and that's saying something, no matter how prettily she says it when she's being insulting." She raised her glass to her lips and took a healthy swig. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing," Harry replied as he sipped his own drink. "I'm just surprised. I thought you could look beyond who she was, and engage with her in the present."

"This has nothing to do with who she was Harry!" Hermione urged, looking at him with a determined pout. "I was just trying to start up some friendly banter with her and she went off her rocker at me!"

"So," he offered slowly. "You've got it pretty bad huh?"

Hermione spat her drink out so fast, he couldn't move out of the way and ended up with a face full of ale mist.

"WHAT?!"

Harry chuckled as he wiped himself down and then vanished the rest of the liquid with a wave of his wand.

"Are you mad?!" Hermione hissed at him, wiping her chin. "Have you been listening at all? I can't stand her!"

"If I know you at all," he started. "And I consider you like a sister to me. You started your friendly banter because you thought she was hot, and it didn't go in the direction you wanted it to, so now you're pouting."

"I don't think she's hot," Hermione muttered into her beer. "She's more than twice our age, remember? And I'm not into dating after the debacle last time, remember? And she's horrid!"

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks," Harry smirked, downing the last of his pint innocently.

"Don't quote Shakespeare at me Harry, it doesn't suit you."

"Whatever you say Hermione, so what did you actually want to talk about?"

Hermione downed the end of her pint as well, placing the glass down on the table with a scowl.

"I wanted to talk about beating her in our upcoming duel," she said, thinking back to watching the pureblood take down her opponent that morning. "She's wickedly fast with her offensive spells and I was wondering if you had any insight on how to put her on her heels."

Harry considered that for a moment before he looked at her and shrugged.

"It's hard to say 'Mione, I've never seen her duel," he offered. "What's she like?"

"Think Bellatrix, but with less crazy," Hermione replied. "She's faster than I've seen for a long time, and her spells are well thought out, despite her speed." She scratched the back of her neck as she thought about it, mussing her short hair as she did so. "I'm sure I'll be able to keep up with her, but I honestly don't know if I'll have the upper hand in the end. Thoughts?"

"When do you face her?" Harry asked.

"The day after tomorrow, why?" she asked.

"Let me think about it, and I'll get back to you tomorrow, deal?" he offered.

"Deal, and by the way," she huffed as she stood to leave. "I _don't_ think she's hot."

**Haha I loved writing this one! Leave me a review and let me know what you think!  
**

**Imp**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm here! I'm so sorry it's been such a long time since I last updated, life has a way of getting in the way haha. Hopefully now that things have calmed down a bit, I'll be able to make more consistent headway with all of my WIPs.**

**Thank you all for your patience.**

**Any mistakes are mine, I don't have a beta, all rights etc. belong the the wondrous J.K. Rowling, I make no money, yadda yadda.**

**Enjoy! -AndeB**

Narcissa popped into existence outside the wrought iron gates of Black Manor, ice queen facade melting away as she crossed the threshold. Spending the evening with Andy had been a good idea. She always found their time spent together since their reconnection pleasant, not awkward or forced.

As she stepped through the large oak door, the same small house elf appeared to take her outer robes.

"Good evening Mistress, is there anything I can be getting yous?" she asked with the same practiced curtsy.

"Not tonight Lyra, thank you. Please feel free to go to bed, I'll take my tea at the usual time in the morning." Narcissa smiled warmly down at her before turning to start up the curving staircase.

"As the Mistress says," the elf replied with another curtsy.

Narcissa ascended the stairs to the second floor and turned to begin her journey towards her room. The plush carpet muffled the sound of her heels as she made her way past the many doors. As she reached her own, she turned the cool brass handle, letting herself into the ornate room.

She let herself relax even more as she closed the door behind her. Leaning against it, she let out a long breath, finally letting the memories from the evening run through her mind. She had let the muggleborn's ire fuel her as they clashed in the pub. Their banter had gone beyond simple jabs and into verbal sparring territory. Another calming breath passed her lips as she pushed away from the door and towards her bathroom.

The young muggleborn had simply managed to push the right buttons, Narcissa told herself, there was nothing else going on. An elegant wave of her hand caused the taps to start gushing hot water while she began to undo the fastenings on her inner robes. The silk pooled on the floor around her ankles and she stepped deftly into the large tub, letting out a third sigh as she sank into the water.

Leaning against the side of the tub, she let her head fall back and her eyes close, relishing in the comfort of the bath and letting her muscles relax completely. As she lay there, more images from the day began to dance behind her eyelids and she was treated to scenes of a particular brunette's skillful wandwork. The transfiguration had been perfectly fluid, the wand slashing through the air in graceful arcs and swirls. Most of all however, Narcissa remembered deep hazel eyes that flashed with a fierce wildness.

"Oh, do get ahold of yourself!" she scolded, shaking her head and sitting up straighter in the bath. "Pretty eyes mean nothing. Get your head on right and prove yourself to the wizarding world. That's all that matters." Reaching up with both hands, she carefully unpinned her hair and let blonde tresses free to flow over her shoulders. "It's all that matters," she repeated, setting the pins aside.

Inhaling deeply and closing her eyes, she let herself slip beneath the surface of the water, laying flat against the bottom of the king-sized tub as she had done so often as a child. Holding herself there, the world became silent, all sound but the beating of her own heart canceled out by the surrounding water. Resisting the urge to surface and relieve her lungs of their incapacity, Narcissa willed herself to focus only on victory, on the spellwork she had worked so hard to refine. Repeating over and over in her mind the mantra that had sustained her after Lucius's imprisonment. _I am not worthless. I am not worthless. I am not worthless._

With her lungs all but screaming, Narcissa finally sat up, breaking the surface of the water with an immense gasp, filling her lungs with the oxygen they had been starved of. Determination cloaked her as she rose from the water to dry off, victory the only thought left in her mind.

**Thoughts? Feelings? Let me know what you think and click the little button haha.**

**Thank you for reading!**

**-Imp**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm here! I'm really getting back into it folks, thank you all for being patient. I know this one's a tad short, but I hope it will whet your appetites for the upcoming chapters.**

**As always, any mistakes are mine, all rights are not. I make no money from this, yadda yadda.**

**Enjoy!**

Hermione apparated home with a pop, appearing in her living area with a disgruntled scowl on her face. Crookshanks appeared from the kitchen as his mistress ran a hand through her short crop of hair with a frustrated sigh.

"Hi Crooks," she smiled down at the half-kneazle affectionately before scooping him into her arms and stroking a hand down his back. "You'll never believe what Harry said to me today." She walked with him in her arms back into the kitchen to fix herself a cup of tea. Placing him gently back on the floor with a scratch behind his ears, Hermione turned to get her kettle on.

"Harry," she continued, "had the audacity to tell me that I fancied Narcissa. Narcissa!" She rifled through her cupboards, finding a mug and box of teabags. "I mean, honestly! Who does he think he's kidding? In what world could I possibly fancy Narcissa Black?" She turned to regard her familiar who was sitting where she had left him, tail curled around his front paws, giving her an eerily knowing look.

"What?" she accused, hands rising to rest indignantly on her hips. "Alright, I suppose if I'm being completely honest, I do think she's stunningly beautiful."

Crookshanks merely blinked at her in reply.

"Yes, alright, her wandwork is amazing too. But that doesn't mean I fancy her! It means I can admire an opponent's skill, that's all." Hermione shook her head, turning away from her small companion. As she removed the whistling kettle from its place on the stove, she worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

Images of the blonde witch flashed through her mind as she poured the hot water into her mug. Fierce blue eyes, trained on their target like a lioness on the hunt, stopped Hermione's movements. It was those eyes that caught her attention every time she was in the presence of the older woman. They captured her, brought her in, made her lose focus on everything else around her. With a sudden shake of her head, Hermione brought herself out of her momentary lack of focus.

"Ugh, it's nothing!" she exploded, slamming the kettle back onto the stovetop. "I don't fancy her! I'm just eager to beat her. To prove that a muggleborn is just as capable of beating a pureblood as anyone else!"

She picked up her tea and stormed into her living room, stopping briefly to take a book down from one of her many shelves. Plopping down onto her couch, she settled in to get more research done before her semi-final match the next day. Confidence would only get her so far. Hopefully, then speaking to Harry about how to best the Slytherin witch.

**I hope you enjoyed this installment! Thank you for reading!**

**Imp**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello lovely readers! I hope you are all staying safe in these troubling times.**

**Here is another extra-long installment that I just couldn't cap at 500 words. As always, any mistakes are mine, all rights are not.**

**Enjoy!**

Hermione awoke the next day to a bright shaft of sunlight streaming through her window. Thoughts of the semi-final match began running through her mind as she stretched to begin getting ready for the day. Her opponent had come up through the rounds in much the same way as herself, quickly and easily.

As she stepped into her bathroom and turned on the shower, Hermione replayed everything she knew about the man she would be facing that day. Roger Davies had been two years ahead of Hermione at Hogwarts and she knew of him through Harry and his quidditch matches against Ravenclaw. She had also been able to observe him in a few of his matches leading up to their own that day. He was quick in his offensive skills, but often lacked the tenacity and quick thinking of a good defense.

Hermione ran the memories around in her mind as she washed her hair, reminding herself of the openings she had seen and the opportunities she could use to put the older man on his heels. Her own defense was stronger than his, so she was sure that his proclivity for focusing on offense wouldn't be a problem. It was just a case of making sure that her offense was faster than his, ensuring that he wouldn't have the opportunity to get the upper hand.

Appearing in the atrium of the arena that had been built for the semifinal and final matches, Hermione squared her shoulders. The duel today would be the same as all the others, Hermione would make sure of it. Making her way through the waiting area, Hermione forced herself to let go of her confrontation with Narcissa from the night before and focus on the duel ahead of her.

Stepping into the arena caused the rest of the world to drop away, her ears filling with the sound of her own heartbeat, increasing in speed at her anticipation of the match. Roger Davies stood across from her, eyes hard as he sized her up.

As the referee motioned for them both to assume the traditional bow, Hermione bent at the waist, took one last calming breath before straightening her posture again and waited for the whistle.

At the shrill blast she shot off a quick flipendo before following it with an opugno charm. Davies managed to dodge the first and surprisingly, transfigured the tiny birds into snowflakes that fluttered harmlessly past him.

Hermione gripped her wand tighter, getting a shield up just in time to block his stunner. Her eyes widened at the force of his spell, which had knocked her back a few steps. Leaning forward and deflecting his next jinx, Hermione transfigured the ceiling above him into a bundle of snakes that began to rain down on his head. Scrambling to vanish them, Davies missed the fact that Hermione had also cast a sticking jinx on his feet and he was unable to move from his spot.

Vanishing the snakes, Hermione cast an easy body bind curse on the older man, who was now a statue in the middle of the arena. His wand sailed into her hand a moment later, and the whistle was blown to end the match.

After the outcome was announced, Davies made his way in Hermione's direction.

"That was bloody well done," he said, standing awkwardly in front of her.

"Thank you, you didn't make it too easy on me though," she replied, stepping around him and towards the exit.

"I'm glad for that, at least," he chuckled, falling into step with her. "I knew you'd be good, but I wasn't expecting that." He grinned at her, placing his hands in his pockets as they walked out of the arena.

She smiled easily back at him, hoping to make a quick getaway to find Harry.

"Well, thank you again," she said quickly. "Sorry about taking your spot in the final," she added, quickening her pace and trying to get away.

"Well, after taking it you should at least take me out for a drink to apologize." Davies said, stepping into her space. "What do you say?"

Hermione stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Errr, whut?"

**Duhn, duhn, duuuhn! Whatever will Hermione do?**

**Thanks for reading, let me know what you think!**

**-Imp**


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